Material handling apparatus



E. H. PATRICK MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS l' iled Oct. 5. 1955 March 3, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

EA/ZV PATP/CK ATTORNEY MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Emzy H. Patrick, Port Arthur, Tex., assignor to Gulf Oil Corporation, I Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 5, 1955, Serial No. 538,645 I I 4 Claims. c an- 44 :Thus, in'operations wherein a large number of cartons are needed over a period of time for individual packaging, it is customary to stack a large number of such cartons ina folded condition and thereafter continuously remove individual cartons from such stack. The carton is then unfolded and passed to the appropriate station for the-desired packaging. It isdiflicult, however, to maintain positive control over the carton as it is being removed from the stack, and occasionally the desired path of movement is not obtained. The apparatus of the present invention overcomes such difiiculty, however, since it serves to maintain control over the carton being removed from the stack during such removal.

The present invention can be better understood with reference to .th'ewaccompanying: drawing which is hereby incorporated in and made a part of the present specification. It is understood that'th'e construction and combination of parts which are herein described and which areillustrated in the drawing comprise preferred embodiments only and there is nointention to be limited thereby; Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus, while Figure 2 is a front view thereof. Figure 3 is a back view of the carton magazine.

Referring to Figure 1, reference numeral 2 defines a carton magazine adapted to hold a large number of folded cartons 4. The carton magazine is provided with side supports 6 and 8, front support 10 and back support 12, each of which can be made in two sections if desired. In order to hold cartons 4 within carton magazine 2 and prevent the same from dropping out, the carton magazine is provided with ledges 14, which are preferably made integral with side supports 6 and 8. Front support 10 preferably does not extend the full length of carton magazine 2 but only down to about the last carton in the stack, as shown in Figure 2, so that the last carton can be removed from the carton magazine as will be hereinafter described.

Mounted for reciprocating movement, by any suitable means, for removing individual cartons from carton magazine 2 is carton ejector 16 which comprises an elongated plate 18 and a knife blade 20 mounted thereon and ex tending longitudinally outwardly therefrom. The width of elongated plate 18 is somewhat less than the distance between the adjacent inner edges of ledges 14, while the width of the knife blade can be only slightly less than the width of the carton magazine when back support 12 is made similar to front support 10 and does not extend the full length of the carton magazine, as shown in Figure 3. If desired, however, the knife blade 20 can be made the same width as elongated plate 18. Knife blade 20 is United States Patent 2,876,007. Patented Mar. 3, 1959 preferably fixedly attached to elongated plate 18, as by welding-although the two can be made integral if desired.

Mounted by any suitable means to the underside of elongated plate 18 adjacent the end thereof nearest the free end of knife blade 20 iscarton holder 22 comprising a bracket 24 provided with a pin 26 upon which is pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends, an arm 28. One end 30 of arm 28 is preferably serrated, while on the other end is mounted a roller 32. Although a roller is preferred, it is obvious, as will be seen, that it can be replaced with any device capable of functioning in the present instance in a similar manner. In order to normally urge serrated edge 30 of arm 28 into engagement with the underside of knife blade 20 there is provided a compression spring 34 located between-pin 26 and roller 32. The spring is in abutting relation with the underside of elongated plate 18 and arm 28 and is preferably attached to one or both of such members, Located in the longitudinal path of movement of carton ejector 16 and adapted .to contact individually the roller 32 thereof are plates 36 and 38.

Operation of the device will now be described. It will be assumed that carton magazine 2 contains a number of folded cartons 4 and that a selected number of such individual cartons are desired over a period of time for packaging. Carton ejector 16 is reciprocated and on its initial movement in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 1, the apparatus is so mounted and arranged that knife blade 20 finds its way between the carton at the bottom of the stack in carton magazine 2 and the carton immediately above it. Upon continued forward movement of carton ejector 16, without carton holder 22 and plates 36 and 38, the leading edge 40 of elongated plate 18 will contact'the adjacent edge of the carton at the bottom of the stack and push the same out of carton magazine 2. In such case, however, there is no firm grip on the carton as it is being moved out of the carton magazine and it can easily be pushed sideways out of its intended path. With the present apparatus such difficulty is easily overcome.

As the carton ejector 16 moves forward and the lowest carton in the carton magazine is about to assume its position adjacent the'leading edge 40 of elongated plate 18, the roller 32 on carton holder 22 rolls over plate 36, causing arm 28 to move away from knife blade 20 against the action of spring 34. As the forward movement of carton ejector 16 continues, roller 32 passes over plate 36 and arm 28 moves against the carton holding it securely. The forward movement of carton ejector 16 is continued until the carton has been substantially removed from the carton magazine and it is desired to release the same and deposit it at a desired station, as for example on conveyor 42. At such time roller 32 passes over plate 38 and arm 28 opens as before, releasing the carton. The carton ejector is then moved back over plates 38 and 36 to its starting position and the operation described above can be repeated. It can be seen from this description that the present apparatus provides means for maintaining a firm grip on the carton being removed from its magazine throughout the removal operation. In this way control over the carton is at all times maintained and side movement thereof is virtually eliminated.

While the apparatus has been described and illustrated wherein the article being dispensed is a folded carton it is apparent that the invention is not so limited and that it can be employed in dispensing other articles similarly shaped and normally subject to the same handling procedures. Instead of removing but one article at a time as shown, it is obvious that the present apparatus can also be employed to remove units of two or more articles from the container if desired. Although no specific means has been shown for imparting reciprocating motion to carton ejector 16,, it is easily seen that such movement can be provided in many ways, for example by manual or mechanical means. Plates 36 and 38 have been shown for moving roller 32 upwardly at the proper time but it is apparent that any abutment means similarly located can be employed to obtainthe desired movement of roller 32. Plates 36 and 38 can be mounted on their own base or on the same base used to mount the remaining members of the present arrangement;

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinabove' set forth may be made Without departing, from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitationsshould be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising means for holding a number of articles'in stacked position, reciprocating means for removing articles from such stacked position comprising an elongated, plate and a knifeblade attached to the upper side'of said elongated plate and extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom, said elongated plate I adapted upon forward movement of said reciprocating means, to move in abutting relationship with the lowermost article in said stack and said knife blade upon said forward movement to move between the two lowermost articles in said stack, and means attached to said reciprocating means for; gripping said lowermost article during its movement out of said stack. 1

2. Dispensing apparatus comprising means for holding a number of articles in stacked position, reciprocating means for removing articles from such stacked position comprising an elongated plate and a knife blade attached to the upper side ,of said elongated plate and extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom, said elongated plate adapted upon forward movement of said reciprocating means to move in abutting relationship with the lowermostarticle in said stack and said knife blade upon said forward movement to move between the two lowermost articles in said stack, and means attached to said reciprocating means for gripping said lowermost article during its movement out of said stack, said last means comprising an arm normally in abutting relationship with the underside of said knife blade, and spring means in contact with said arm for maintaining said latter relationship.

3. Dispensing apparatus. comprising means for holding 4 a number of articles. in stacked position, reciprocating means for removing articles from such stacked position comprising an elongated plate and a knife blade attached to the upper side of said elongated plate and extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom, said elongated plate adapted upon forward movement of said reciprocating means to move in abutting relationship with the lowermost article in said stack and said knife blade upon said forward movement to move between the two lowermost articles in said stack, and means attached to said reciprocating means for gripping said lowermost article during its movement out of said stack, said last means comprising an arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the underside of said elongated plate, spring means urging one end of said arm in abutting relationship with the underside of said knife blade, a roller mounted on the other end of said arm, and means for moving said arm against the action of said spring.

4. Dispensing apparatus comprising means for holding a number of articles in stacked position, reciprocating leans for removing articles from such stacked position comprising an elongated plate and a knife blade attached to the upper side of said elongated plate and extending longitudinally'outwardly therefrom, said elongated'plate adapted upon forward movement of said reciprocating means to move in abutting relationship with the lowermost article in said stack and said knife blade upon said forward movement to move between the two lowermost articles in said stack, and means attached to said reciprocating means forgrippingsaid lowermost article during its movement out of said stack, said last means comprising an arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the underside of said elongated plate, spring means urging one end of said arm in abutting relationship with the underside'of said knife blade, a roller mounted on the other end' of said arm, and means mountedin the path of movement of said roller for moving said arm against the action of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,638 King Aug. 3, 1880 354,094 Brown Dec. 14, 1886 2,497,899 Monson Feb. 21, 1950 2,641,321 Cruzan June 19, 1953 2,747,769 Erickson May 29, 1956 

